Art exhibits to see in the Nine Rails Creative District
An interactive art installation by Lauren Lee McCarthy, titled "The Changing Room," can be viewed at Ogden Contemporary Arts Garage from Feb. 12 until May 30. It will be free to the public.
"I Know Some Nice People," an exhibit of art by Matthew Choberka of Ogden will be displayed at The Argo House from Feb. 5 through April 30.
In honor of Women's History Month, Eccles Art Center will be displaying winning work from its statewide Women's Competition throughout March.
The YCC Family Crisis Center has been spreading love and messages of hope around Ogden through its "Heart of Utah" project.
Get your art on in Ogden! March’s First Friday Art Stroll will boast several art exhibits that you HAVE to see.
’The Changing Room’ at Ogden Contemporary Arts Garage
Have you been to OCA yet? The long-awaited art studio located in the garage of the historic Monarch building is finally open! Their grand opening exhibit features Lauren Lee McCarthy’s “The Changing Room,” exploring the connection between artificial intelligence and emotion. Social media, smart phones, Alexa, Google, targeted ads and the like influence our lives and certainly our moods and energy levels.
“Imagining an environment of smart architecture that controls emotion, McCarthy arranges the entire gallery into various live-work type environments that are conducive to human interaction yet guided by digital presence,” reads a statement on OCA’s website. “On the second level is an accessible control panel where visitors are invited to browse and select one of two hundred emotions, which is then evoked throughout the entire space — and ultimately in everyone within it — through a layered response of lights, sounds, and visuals. ‘I’m hoping it brings up the question of what’s at stake when we bring AI into public and private spaces, and the ways our emotional experiences are mediated by technology,’ says McCarthy of the exhibit.”
Have we gone too far in an artificial direction? Visit the exhibit and decide for yourself.
’I Know Some Nice People’ by Matt Choberka at Argo House
Self-examination has been a theme for most of us this past year and as Matthew Choberaka, creative at the Monarch, examined his own self, it exploded onto paper. “To live in these times is in a lot of ways scary, and in all of my recent works I’m working to acknowledge that, and to overcome it,” says Choberka in his artist statement. Choberaka’s work is filled with bright colors and alarming shapes, challenging the viewer to examine what emotions it raises in themselves. “(T)hese pictures embody a grotesquery that I perceive just about everywhere in our contemporary lives … in our politics, in our culture,” he says. The pop-up exhibit “I Know Some Nice People” is available for viewing at The Argo House, 529 25th St. through April 30.
Women’s Competition at Eccles Art Center
Eccles Art Center, 2580 Jefferson Ave., is celebrating women next month, featuring winner’s from its statewide Women’s Competition. The invitational competition is a change from last month’s photo competition as mediums include painting and sculpture.
Heart of Utah Project by YCC
Domestic Violence and suicide rates have skyrocketed since last March, and the YCC Family Crisis Center, the heart of Ogden, decided to do something beautiful about it. In previous years, the YCC has raised over $75,000 to help families across Utah, but due to the pandemic, they have been unable to host their annual gala and donations have decreased exponentially. The YCC reached out to individuals and companies across the Wasatch Front for their “Heart of Utah” project. Persons or companies were invited to sponsor a heart sculpture, reminiscent of candy hearts, to be displayed with their logo and a message of hope and healing. All sponsorships helped YCC Family Crisis Center prevent and alleviate domestic and sexual violence in our community.
“As the demand for our services continues to grow, the need for partnership and generosity has become even more essential,” said Margaret Rose, YCC’s executive director. “And we hope that seeing this giant installation throughout the city will get people talking about the serious issue of domestic violence in Utah.”
This First Friday will be your last chance to view the installation, set to close on March 6, at Platforms and throughout Ogden. Though the installation will disappear, the message of love, hope and healing never will.